October 30, 2012

The Cincinnati Bengals entered the 2005 NFL season having
not finished with a winning record since 1990. However, following two 8-8
tallies under Head Coach Marvin Lewis, the Bengals were clearly on the rise and
entered the October 30 contest against the Green Bay Packers at 5-2.
Second-year QB Carson Palmer was coming into his own and had fine wide
receivers to throw to in Chad Johnson (later known as Chad Ochocinco) and T.J.
Houshmandzadeh. The running back tandem of power-running Rudi Johnson and
speedy Chris Perry was productive. A major concern was that the defense tended
to give up too many yards against the run.

The Packers, coached by Mike Sherman, were still overly
dependent on 13th-year QB Brett Favre and, at 1-5, were in a state
of decline after making the playoffs in each of the previous four seasons. WR
Donald Driver was a dependable target for Favre’s passes, but injuries had
depleted the running game and the defense was mediocre.

There was a crowd of 65,940 in attendance at Paul Brown
Stadium. The Bengals had first possession and drove 60 yards in 11 plays.
Carson Palmer finished it off with a four-yard touchdown pass to Chris Perry
for the early lead. The teams traded punts to conclude the opening period, but
the Packers put together a 66-yard scoring drive in 11 plays to start the
second quarter. Favre completed all five of his passes, including one to TE
Bubba Franks for 21 yards to the Cincinnati
seven in a third-and-six situation. RB Tony Fisher scored a TD from a yard out
and, with Ryan Longwell’s successful conversion the contest was tied at 7-7.

Cincinnati
responded with another long drive. Helped along by two defensive penalties,
Palmer passed to T.J. Houshmandzadeh for an eight-yard touchdown. The Bengals
had a chance to score again in the first half as Favre’s tipped pass was
intercepted by LB Odell Thurman (pictured above). Starting at their 43, the Bengals advanced to
the Green Bay
29 but time ran out and the score remained 14-7 in favor of the home team at
halftime.

The clubs again traded punts to start the third quarter but
a promising Green Bay drive into Cincinnati territory that
included a 28-yard gain on a pass to Donald Driver ended with Favre being
intercepted for a second time. CB Deltha O’Neal grabbed the throw at his own
two yard line, which stopped a potential Green
Bay score but also pinned the Bengals back deep in
their own territory. After getting out to their 40, they had to punt.

Once again O’Neal picked off a Favre pass, this time
returning it to the Green Bay
42 for more favorable field position. The Bengals gained nothing in three
plays, however, and again kicked it away. This time it was CB Tory James
intercepting Favre on the first play of Green
Bay’s ensuing possession. Cincinnati still couldn’t move the ball as
the game headed into the fourth quarter, but again the Bengals kicked and got
the ball back on an interception. It was the second pickoff for Thurman, and
finally Cincinnati
capitalized on the very next play when Palmer passed to FB Jeremi Johnson for a
27-yard touchdown.

The Packers followed up with a series that didn’t end with
an interception, but they had to punt after losing ground. Cincinnati’s next series ended with Palmer
being intercepted by CB Ahmad Carroll to give Green Bay another shot with 8:28
remaining. The Packers made the most of the opportunity, going 88 yards in 13
plays and converting three third downs along the way. A one-yard Favre
completion to Franks for a touchdown followed by Longwell’s successful extra
point made it a seven-point game with just over three minutes on the clock.

The Bengals played conservatively on their next series as
the Packers used up their timeouts. Kyle Larson’s 47-yard punt was downed at
the Green Bay
10 and there were now only 56 seconds remaining on the clock. A 48-yard pass
interference penalty moved the ball into Cincinnati
territory and Favre threw to WR Antonio Chatman for 19 yards to the 28 yard
line. With the defense reeling a bizarre circumstance ensued as a fan ran onto
the field, causing the next play to be blown dead by the officials. Grabbing
the ball out of Favre’s hand, the inebriated man eluded security and caused
play to be halted for several minutes until he was removed.

Once the action resumed, Favre was sacked for a two-yard
loss by the re-grouped defense and then threw a pass from beyond the line of
scrimmage that resulted in a game-ending penalty. The Bengals had held on for
the 21-14 win.

The Packers outgained Cincinnati
(353 yards to 317) and had the edge in first downs (23 to 21). However, they
suffered the five turnovers on interceptions as opposed to one by the Bengals.

Carson Palmer completed 22 of 34 passes for 237 yards with
three touchdowns against one interception. Rudi Johnson ran for 72 yards on 22
carries and Chris Perry (pictured at left) added three attempts for 18 yards in addition to a
team-high 6 pass receptions that gained 25 yards and included a TD. T.J.
Houshmandzadeh gained 77 yards on 5 catches and Chad Johnson, who also caught 5
passes, added 62 yards.

For the Packers, Brett Favre was successful on 26 of 39
throws for 279 yards and a TD, although he was picked off five times. Antonio
Chatman caught 8 passes for 97 yards while Bubba Franks contributed 62 yards
and a touchdown on 7 receptions and Donald Driver had 5 catches for 76 yards.
Tony Fisher led the running attack with 51 yards and a TD on 17 carries.

Regarding the circumstance with the fan that entered the
field and halted play, Cincinnati LB Brian Simmons said “That did slow it down
and give us a chance to huddle, and we kind of came together as a defense. But
you don’t want to see that because somebody could get hurt.”

It was the single event that rendered the game notorious,
and while it disrupted a Green Bay
possession that could potentially have tied the score, the five interceptions
had the greater cumulative impact on the outcome.

Cincinnati
ended up with an 11-5 record and topped the AFC North. However, they lost in
the Wild Card round of the playoffs when Carson Palmer went down with a major
knee injury early in the contest. The Packers continued to flounder and, at
4-12, ended up at the bottom of the NFC North with their first losing season
since 1991 – the year before Brett Favre’s arrival.

October 28, 2012

The Washington Redskins had a 2-1 record as they faced their
traditional division rivals, the New York Giants, on October 28, 1945. In their
second year under Head Coach Dudley DeGroot, the team’s key player was still QB
Sammy Baugh (pictured above), who was successfully completing the transition from single-wing
tailback to T-formation quarterback. Other formidable weapons on offense were
FB Frank Akins, HB Steve Bagarus, and end Joe Aguirre, who also handled the
placekicking.

The Giants, in their 15th year under Head Coach
Steve Owen, had topped the Eastern Division in 1944 but had taken a much more
significant hit in key personnel lost to the military in the offseason than had
Washington. They came into the contest at 1-1-1.

There was a sellout crowd of 55,461 on hand at the Polo
Grounds. The Giants scored first when, five minutes into the game, they
recovered a Baugh fumble at the Washington
33. After losing ground on a pass attempt, QB Marion Pugh threw for a 39-yard
touchdown to end John Weiss, who outmaneuvered Baugh for the score. This was
the high point
of the contest for the Giants, as well as the nadir for Sammy Baugh.

The Redskins were held on downs in their next possession,
but tied the score on a second quarter drive in which Baugh threw to Bagarus
for 21 yards, end Doug Turley for 17 more, and then HB Wilbur Moore for a
17-yard touchdown. Joe Aguirre’s successful extra point made it 7-7. Just
before the half, the Redskins scored again on an Aguirre field goal from 37 yards.

Washington
kept up the momentum on the first series of the third quarter, taking the
second half kickoff and driving to another TD. Moore started the possession off with a
27-yard run and Baugh completed a 26-yard throw to Bagarus along the way. Frank
Akin plowed into the line for a three-yard touchdown to finish the drive.

Penalties nullified two apparent Washington touchdowns later in the second
half as the visitors completely dominated the Giants. Baugh, a fine safety on
defense, intercepted a pass and returned it 69 yards to set up the final Washington score. It was
Baugh passing to end Wayne Millner for a six-yard TD following the long return.

New York
took the ensuing kickoff and scored one last time in the last 30 seconds of the
fourth quarter. The Redskins came away with a 24-14 win that was not as close
as the tally implied.

Washington
was well ahead in total yards (413 to 237) and first downs (18 to 11). The
Redskins not only were strong through the air but on the ground, outgaining the
Giants in rushing yardage by 182 yards to 30. Each team turned the ball over
twice.

Aside from Sammy Baugh, with the two touchdown passes and
long interception return, the top performer for Washington was Steve Bagarus, who caught 8
passes for 162 yards.

“That guy (Baugh) is getting better all the time,” said
Steve Owen. “And I don’t mean better for us. He’s the best ever.”

The Redskins lost just one of their remaining games to
finish atop the Eastern Division with an 8-2 record. They lost a close-fought
NFL Championship game by one point to the Cleveland Rams. New York dropped to 3-6-1, the franchise’s
first losing record in nine years, to end up tied for third in the division
with the Boston Yanks.

Sammy Baugh, in his ninth season with the Redskins, set a
league record that lasted until 1982 by completing 70.3 percent of his passes.
He led the NFL in pass completions (128), ranked second in yards (1669), and
third in touchdown passes (11). “Slingin’ Sammy” was intercepted just four
times, thus also giving him the league’s lowest interception percentage among
qualifiers (2.2). By today’s passer rating system he registered a 109.9 – a
formidable rating by current standards, let alone those of the 1940s.

Frank Akins ran the ball 147 times, more than any other NFL
back, and ranked second in rushing with 797 yards (5.4 avg. per attempt). Steve
Bagarus (pictured below) was third in pass receptions (34) and receiving yards (617), thus
averaging 18.1 yards per catch.

October 27, 2012

The Oakland Raiders were a franchise transformed in 1963.
After three seasons in the American Football League that produced a 9-33 record
and little fan support, 34-year-old Al Davis was hired away from the San Diego
Chargers to become head coach and general manager. He brought a new attitude as
well as a new look to the club, and it was beginning to show on the field. By
the time the Raiders faced Davis’
old team, the Chargers, on October 27 the record was just 3-4 – but that was
two more wins than they had in all of 1962.

San Diego,
under Head Coach Sid Gillman, was a powerful and well-balanced team with a 5-1
record. Veteran QB Tobin Rote directed an offense that was potent both on the
ground with HB Paul Lowe and all-purpose FB Keith Lincoln as well as through
the air thanks to flanker Lance Alworth. Moreover, the Raiders had never beaten
the Chargers, going back six games in series history, and most of the scores
had been lopsided.

There were 30,182 fans at Balboa Stadium in San Diego. They saw the Raiders get a major
break following a first quarter interception by LB Archie Matsos, who lateraled
to CB Claude “Hoot” Gibson for a 13-yard return to the San Diego 25. After two short carries by HB
Clem Daniels, split end Art Powell, who was double-covered all day, put Oakland on the board by
catching a 20-yard pass from QB Tom Flores.

Keith Lincoln returned the ensuing kickoff for San Diego 43 yards to
near midfield. In a series highlighted by a 17-yard run by Paul Lowe and
13-yard Keith Lincoln carry, the Chargers advanced to the Oakland 16 where the
defense stiffened and George Blair kicked a 23-yard field goal.

A punt by the Raiders from deep in their own territory gave
the Chargers good starting field position at their own 42 on their next
possession. Rote threw to Alworth for 15 yards and Lowe ran for 10. On first
down, Rote fired to Alworth in the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown and, with
the successful extra point, San Diego
was in front by 10-7.

Following the touchdown by Alworth, Al Davis moved CB Fred
Williamson to cover him, with good results as the fleet receiver was
essentially shut down the rest of the way.

In the second quarter, Williamson set up Oakland’s
second touchdown with an interception at the San Diego 30. Daniels got the ball to the 10
on two carries and, after advancing to the five, Flores
threw to FB Alan Miller for a TD. The Raiders were back in front at 14-10.

The Chargers retook the lead by 17-14 after a pass from QB
John Hadl, subbing for Rote, to TE Jacque MacKinnon that covered 69 yards and
concluded the first half scoring. In addition, Oakland’s
Flores had to leave the game late in the
second quarter due to a head injury and was replaced by Cotton Davidson.

On the second play of the third quarter, CB Dick Harris
returned an interception 23 yards for a TD to make it 23-14. Blair’s extra
point attempt failed following a bad snap. A fumble recovery by Gibson set up a
39-yard scoring pass from Davidson to flanker Dobie Craig that, with Mike
Mercer’s successful PAT, brought the Raiders back to within two points behind. George
Blair kicked another field goal for San
Diego, this time from 36 yards, to make it a
five-point game at 26-21 heading into the final period.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Powell (pictured below) scored
another touchdown, this time on an outstanding 46-yard catch on a pass from
Davidson in which he pulled the ball in over his shoulder while well-covered by
two defenders. The Raiders were back in front at 28-26.

Oakland’s
lead didn’t last long, however. San Diego’s Lincoln took off on a
51-yard scoring run on the next series. Following a key defensive stand by the
Raiders, they got the ball back with just under four minutes remaining on the
clock. Daniels took off on a 41-yard run to the San Diego 20. Davidson, unable to find any
receivers on the next play, ran for 11 yards to the nine. Two plays lost a yard
before Davidson, with 1:52 left on the clock, scrambled for time and threw to
FB Glenn Shaw in the end zone for a ten-yard touchdown. A two-point conversion
attempt failed, but Oakland
had the lead.

There was still time for the Chargers, but Rote was tossed
for a 20-yard loss and then Gibson intercepted a pass with a minute left to
seal the exciting 34-33 win for the Raiders.

The Chargers had more total yards (380 to 296) and first
downs (18 to 13) than Oakland,
but they also turned the ball over six times against three turnovers by the
Raiders.

In relief of Tom Flores, who was successful on three of 11
passes for 31 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, Cotton Davidson (pictured at left) was very effective, completing 5 of 10 throws for 115 yards with three good for
TDs against one intercepted. He also gained 27 yards on five runs. Clem Daniels
was outstanding as he rushed for 125 yards on 19 carries. Art Powell caught
three passes for 77 yards, two of them for scores.

As for the Chargers, Tobin Rote, who encountered heavy
pressure, had a subpar performance as he completed 6 of 14 passes for 67 yards
and a TD with four interceptions. Keith Lincoln was sensational in rushing for
130 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, but while Paul Lowe gained 82 yards on
12 attempts, most of that came in the first half - he was largely a nonfactor
in the last two quarters. Thanks to the long TD reception, Jacque MacKinnon had
111 yards on three catches while Lance Alworth gained 50 yards, also on three
receptions.

“San Diego’s
a great football team, but we’ve got a great bunch on our club and they just
wanted that game so badly today they wouldn’t quit,” summed up Al Davis.

The win for Oakland
was the second straight of an eventual eight in a row to close out the season
and included another victory over the Chargers at home. The Raiders, at 10-4,
ended up second to San Diego
(11-3) in the AFL Western Division. The Chargers routed the Boston Patriots in
the league’s title game.

Clem Daniels went on to lead the AFL in rushing with 1099
yards on 215 carries (5.1 avg.). Art Powell ranked second with 73 pass
receptions for a league-leading 1304 yards and 16 touchdowns. Both were All-AFL
selections and Daniels received Player of the Year consideration from The
Sporting News.

October 25, 2012

In the second season under Head Coach Buck Shaw, and after
four straight losing records, the Philadelphia Eagles began to show improvement
in 1959. Veteran QB Norm Van Brocklin (pictured at right) brought strong leadership qualities as
well as skill to the offense, flanker Tommy McDonald had emerged as one of the
NFL’s most potent deep receivers, and the combination of HB Billy Barnes and FB
Clarence Peaks was a good, if not flashy, one. Chuck Bednarik, once a great linebacker
was now a capable center and provided stability to the line. The Eagles were
off to a 2-2 start, with one of the wins an upset of the Giants.

On October 25 the Eagles faced the Chicago Cardinals in a
game played at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington,
Minnesota, auditioning as a
future expansion locale (the Vikings would arrive in 1961). The Cardinals, in what
would be their final season as a Chicago-based team, moved two of their home
games to the Twin Cities due to the lure of a substantial guaranteed gate. While
second-year HB John David Crow was developing into a formidable player in Head
Coach Frank “Pop” Ivy’s intricate offense, the Cards were 1-3 and John Roach
was starting his first game at quarterback due to injuries to King Hill and
M.C. Reynolds.

Attendance was 20,112 in near-freezing weather. They saw the
Cardinals dominate the first half. In the first quarter, Crow scored on a
10-yard pass from Roach. In the second quarter, DB Jimmy Hill returned a
blocked field goal attempt by Paige Cothren for a 77-yard touchdown for the
Cards (Cothren, a newcomer to the Eagles, had a tough debut as he failed on all
three of his three-point attempts). A 15-yard field goal by Bobby Joe Conrad
made it 17-0 at the half.

Early in the third quarter, the lead for the Cardinals
increased to 24-0 when DHB Dick “Night Train” Lane intercepted a pass and
returned it 37-yards for a TD. However, that proved to be the high water mark
for Chicago.

The Eagles came right back on their next possession as Van
Brocklin went long to Tommy McDonald for a 71-yard gain to the Chicago 14. HB Billy Barnes plowed in from a
yard out for a touchdown that finally put Philadelphia
on the board.

On the next series, LB Bob Pellegrini intercepted a pass by
Roach that set up a 29-yard touchdown pass play from Van Brocklin to McDonald. The
next Chicago
series also ended with an interception, this time by LB Chuck Weber. Barnes
covered 17 yards in two carries, the second for a two-yard TD. The Eagles were
down by just three points heading into the final period.

Late in the fourth quarter, Philadelphia completed its comeback. Van
Brocklin again threw to McDonald, this time in the end zone for a 22-yard TD
that put the Eagles in the lead with just over three minutes left to play. The
Cards were unable to respond offensively and Philadelphia won by a final score of 28-24.

The Eagles led in total yards (399 to 313) and first downs
(22 to 14). While the rushing totals were nearly identical (each team ran the
ball 38 times, with Philadelphia gaining 168
yards to Chicago’s 163), Philadelphia was the more proficient passing
club. The Cards turned the ball over six times, four on interceptions, to two
turnovers by the Eagles.

Norm Van Brocklin passed for 207 yards and two TDs in the
second half as he led Philadelphia
back. Tommy McDonald (pictured below) caught three key passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns.
Billy Barnes rushed for 111 yards on 23 carries and scored twice. As for the
Cardinals, HB John David Crow gained 74 yards on 16 carries and caught four
passes for 51 yards.

“We loosened up in the second half and once we started
hitting we were on our way,” said Buck Shaw on behalf of his Eagles.

“That Van Brocklin, you can’t give that fellow any
openings,” lamented Cardinals DT Frank Fuller. “We put a hard rush on him in
the first half but they gave him a split second more time to throw in the
second half. He doesn’t need any more than that.”

The Eagles continued their improved play, ending up with a
7-5 record to finish in a tie with Cleveland
for second place in the Eastern Conference. The Cardinals won their next game
but lost the remainder to close out the long run in Chicago at the bottom of the conference with
a 2-10 tally.

Norm Van Brocklin ranked second in the NFL in pass attempts
(340), completions (191), and yards (2617). His 16 touchdown passes were third
and he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the eighth time.

Tommy McDonald tied for second in catches (47, along with
Lenny Moore of the Colts and Del Shofner of
the Rams) and third in receiving yards (846, tied with Moore). His 10 touchdowns via receiving
placed second. He earned a second trip to the Pro Bowl as a result.

October 24, 2012

The Jacksonville Jaguars were floundering at 1-5 with no
relief in sight as they took on the Baltimore Ravens on October 24, 2011. It
had been nothing but one defeat after another for Head Coach Jack Del Rio’s
team following an opening-week victory over the Titans. While the offense
contained a formidable talent in RB Maurice Jones-Drew, scoring points was
difficult with QB Blaine Gabbert very much a work in progress and a weak
receiving corps. The defense was the far better unit, but could only do so much
without more point production.

Meanwhile the Ravens, under Head Coach John Harbaugh, had
been to the postseason in each of the previous three seasons and was 4-1 coming
into the contest at Jacksonville. Long known for solid defense, Baltimore’s offense
featured an outstanding running back of its own in Ray Rice and a skilled, if
oft-criticized, quarterback in Joe Flacco.

There was a crowd of 62,976 for the Monday night game at
EverBank Field. Neither offense was able to move effectively during the first
quarter. The Jaguars got the first break when Rice fumbled (his first in 522
touches) and CB Rashean Mathis recovered at the Baltimore 34. But after a drive that featured
Jones-Drew runs of 11 and 12 yards, the star running back fumbled on a
first-and-goal play at the three and LB Jameel McClain recovered for the Ravens
(originally ruled down by contact, the call was reversed upon replay).

Baltimore
couldn’t get beyond its own seven yard line in the ensuing series and Sam
Koch’s punt was returned 28 yards by WR Mike Thomas to give the Jaguars good
field position at the Ravens’ 33. A nine-yard sack of Gabbert by LB Terrell
Suggs in a third-and-four situation moved the ball back to the 36, but Josh
Scobee (pictured above) successfully kicked a 54-yard field goal to make it a 3-0 game in favor
of Jacksonville.

The defensive struggle continued into the second quarter.
Midway through the period, Gabbert started a series for the Jaguars with
back-to-back completions of 24 yards to WR Jason Hill and 11 yards to WR Mike
Sims-Walker to get to the Baltimore
38. The drive stalled there and once again Gabbert was sacked on third down,
but the ensuing punt was nullified when DE Paul Kruger was penalized for
running into the kicker. While it was just a five-yard penalty, it led to three
more points for the Jaguars as Scobee again connected from 54 yards. Neither of
the teams was able to get out of its own territory for the remainder of the
period and the score remained 6-0 at halftime. The Ravens had failed to
register a first down and gained a total of just 25 yards of offense for the
half (as opposed to 85 yards for the home team).

Jacksonville
got the ball first in the third quarter and put together a long drive of 68
yards in 16 plays, helped along by three costly penalties on the Ravens. Scobee
kicked his third field goal of the game from 22 yards to extend the lead for
the Jaguars to 9-0.

Baltimore responded with a
series that made it to the Jacksonville
27, but on third down Flacco was sacked for a seven-yard loss by FS Dwight
Lowery and Billy Cundiff missed a field goal attempt from 52 yards.

Heading into the fourth quarter the teams traded punts
until, with 5:22 on the clock, the Ravens put together a long scoring drive.
Starting from their 10, Flacco completed five straight passes and, going to the
air on every play, went 10 for 13. The last was complete to WR Anquan Boldin
for a five-yard touchdown and, with the successful extra point, it was a
two-point game at 9-7.

Now with just over two minutes remaining, Baltimore
attempted an onside kick, but it was touched by a Raven before going the
required distance and Jacksonville
took over. Three short carries by Jones-Drew set up a 51-yard field goal
attempt by Scobee that was successful. While there was still time for the
Ravens to try and win the game, a Flacco pass was intercepted by CB Drew
Coleman to nail down the 12-7 win for the Jaguars.

In a game in which neither offense had much success, Jacksonville led in total
yards (205 to 146) and first downs (13 to 11). Baltimore’s normally proficient ground game
was held to 34 yards while the Jaguars had just 73 net passing yards. The
Ravens turned the ball over twice, to one turnover by Jacksonville, and also hurt themselves with
10 penalties.

Maurice Jones-Drew (pictured above) was, not surprisingly, the key to the
offense with 105 yards on 30 carries, making him the first running back to
reach the 100-yard mark in a game against the Ravens defense in 2011. Blaine
Gabbert completed 9 of 20 passes for 93 yards, and while none were for scores,
he also threw no interceptions. Jason Hill was the top receiver with 4 catches
for 62 yards. Josh Scobee became the sixth NFL placekicker to boot three field
goals from over 50 yards in a game.

For the Ravens, Joe Flacco was successful on 21 of 38 throws
for 137 yards with a TD and an interception. Ray Rice rushed for just 28 yards
on 8 carries but also led the club in receptions with 5 catches for 35 yards.
Anquan Boldin gained 40 yards on his four receptions that included the only
touchdown of the game.

“It finally feels good to win one after all those losses,”
said Maurice Jones-Drew.

“They basically beat us with their defense,” summed up Coach
Harbaugh for the Ravens. “I don’t think it was any one thing. It was a lack of
execution. It’s almost as bad as you can play on offense.”

“You’ve got to give them (the Jaguars) credit,” added Anquan
Boldin. “They played like it was their Super Bowl.”

The Jaguars lost the next week and won just once more before
Coach Del Rio was fired. Overall, they ended up with a 5-11 record to finish
third in the AFC South. Baltimore
recovered to win 8 of their remaining 10 regular season contests and top the
AFC North at 12-4. The Ravens advanced to the AFC Championship game before succumbing
to the New England Patriots.

Maurice Jones-Drew led the league with 343 carries for 1606
yards and was a consensus first-team All-Pro as well as Pro Bowl selection.

In his eighth season with Jacksonville, Josh Scobee ranked third in
field goal percentage (92 %) as he connected on 23 of 25 attempts. He was five
of six from 50 or more yards out.

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(NOTE TO READERS: Today's post marks the third anniversary
of the launch of Today in Pro Football History. For regular readers, thank you,
I hope you have enjoyed it and will continue to do so. For newcomers, I
encourage you to take a look at the archived material. Feedback and suggestions
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October 23, 2012

The St. Louis Cardinals were sporting a 2-3 record as they
hosted the New Orleans Saints on October 23, 1977. The Cardinals, in their
fifth season under Head Coach Don Coryell, had won in double figures in each of
the preceding three years and gone to the postseason twice. But they started
slowly in ’77, losing three of their first four contests before winning at Philadelphia the previous
week. While there was feuding between coach and owner and players complaining
about their salary levels, there was also talent, especially on an explosive
offense that included QB Jim Hart, all-purpose HB Terry Metcalf, and WR Mel
Gray.

New Orleans
was coached by Hank Stram, formerly of the Chiefs, where he had enjoyed success.
The Saints, a perennially losing club since coming into the league ten years
earlier, were off to a 1-4 start and were without injured starting QB Archie
Manning.

There were 48,417 fans in attendance at Busch Memorial
Stadium and they saw the Cardinals start fast. Six minutes into the game, Hart
threw to Gray for a 38-yard touchdown. FB Wayne Morris followed up with a
one-yard scoring carry at 11:32 into the first quarter.

Shortly thereafter, LB Kurt Allerman blocked Tom Blanchard’s
punt and on the first play of the second quarter Morris scored again on a
nine-yard draw play. At 21-0, it seemed as though a rout was in progress.

However, New Orleans began to
get back into the game after DT Derland Moore recovered a fumble by Terry
Metcalf at the St. Louis
46. A 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on DT Mike Dawson erased a loss
by the Saints on the first play from scrimmage after the turnover. Two runs by FB
Tony Galbreath got the ball to the 19 and from there HB Chuck Muncie ran for a
touchdown on a sweep to the right.

The Cards responded with Metcalf returning the kickoff 51
yards to the New Orleans
44. The fleet halfback followed up with a pass reception for 11 more yards and
two carries by FB Jim Otis advanced St.
Louis to the 21. But after catching a pass from Hart,
TE Jackie Smith fumbled at the eight and DE Joe Campbell recovered for New Orleans.

The Saints proceeded to drive to another score in eight
plays. Muncie
gained 22 yards on another sweep and QB Bobby Scott, the replacement for Archie
Manning, passed to backup TE James Thaxton for 20. Thaxton caught a pass from
Scott for a 25-yard touchdown and with another successful extra point New
Orleans was only a TD behind.

Following a punt by the Cardinals, the Saints drove 80 yards
to the tying touchdown. Scott threw to TE Henry Childs for a 53-yard TD and the
teams went into halftime tied at 21-21.

The Cardinals moved back in front on their first series of
the third quarter. They drove 70 yards in 14 plays, eating up 7:44 off the
clock in so doing. The highlight of the drive was a Hart pass to HB Jerry Latin
for 14 yards to the New Orleans
six. Morris ran for five yards and then leaped into the end zone from a yard
out for the touchdown.

The Saints roared back with a drive from their 24 to the St. Louis five. However,
the Cards held as Scott tossed three incomplete passes and New Orleans had to settle for a 22-yard field
goal by Rich Szaro that narrowed the home team’s margin to 28-24.

In the fourth quarter, the Cards scored again on an option
pass from Metcalf to Gray that covered 11 yards. New Orleans kept pace as Scott passed to
Childs for a 29-yard TD with 7:18 left to play.

The Cardinals finally put the game away with just over a
minute left on the clock as HB Steve Jones scored from a yard out. That
possession was helped along by a fake field goal attempt in which holder/CB
Roger Wehrli ran for 19 yards and a first down. They padded the lead following
an interception by CB Lee Nelson when Morris scored his fourth TD with a
12-yard run with 44 seconds to go. Wehrli intercepted Scott’s final pass of the
game to end it and St. Louis
came away with a 49-31 win that, for most of the game, was closer than the
final tally indicated.

The single-game total of 49 points was the most for the
Cardinals in 12 years. They led in total yards (487 to 440), including 244 on
52 running plays, and first downs (31 to 23). Each team turned the ball over
twice.

Jim Hart completed 17 of 24 passes for 225 yards with a
touchdown and none intercepted. Wayne Morris had a notable performance, rushing
for 95 yards on 25 carries that included four touchdowns. Terry Metcalf added
78 yards on 17 attempts, caught 5 passes for 62 yards, and completed both of
his option passes, including one for a TD. Mel Gray also gained 62 pass
receiving yards on three catches that included two for touchdowns.

For the Saints, Bobby Scott (pictured below) was successful on 16 of 35
throws for 285 yards with three TDs but also two interceptions. Chuck Muncie
ran for 102 yards and a touchdown on just 13 carries. The two tight ends were
the most productive receivers for the club as Jim Thaxton had four pass
receptions for 83 yards and a TD and Henry Childs caught three for 79 yards and
two scores.

“We (backs) moved the ball real well, but the line did a
fantastic job,” said Wayne Morris.

“In the final analysis, I thought we fought like hell,”
summed up Hank Stram. “We never stopped. They (the Cardinals) are an excellent
blocking team.”

The win evened the Cards’ record at 3-3 and put them in a
three-way tie for second in the NFC East with the Giants and Redskins behind
the Cowboys. It was also the second of six consecutive wins, but after peaking
at 7-3 the team lost four straight to fall out of contention and end the year
at 7-7 and third in the division. The feud between owner and coach led to Don
Coryell departing afterward.

New Orleans
won the next week against the Rams but ultimately finished at the bottom of the
NFC West with another losing record at 3-11. Hank Stram was dismissed
afterward.

Terry Metcalf ranked second in the NFL in all-purpose yards
with 2022 that included 739 on 149 rushing attempts (5.0 avg.), 403 on 34 pass
receptions, 772 on 32 kickoff returns, and 108 on 14 punt returns. He was
selected to the Pro Bowl for the third time. Having played out his option, he
jumped to the CFL for 1978.

Wayne Morris ended up running for 661 yards on 165 carries
and caught 24 passes for 222 more yards. His four rushing TDs against the
Saints were half of his season total of eight, and he had one pass receiving
touchdown to give him nine on the year.

October 21, 2012

The New England Patriots brought a 2-3 record into their October
21, 2001 game at Indianapolis.
The biggest story of their season thus far had been the injury to starting QB
Drew Bledsoe that propelled unknown backup Tom Brady into the starting lineup.
In the second year under Head Coach Bill Belichick the club was still viewed as
a work in progress.

The Colts had been to the postseason the previous two years
under Head Coach Jim Mora but had been badly beaten by the Patriots two weeks
earlier and then, after their bye week, had lost to Oakland to fall to 2-2. Fourth-year QB Peyton
Manning was already considered to be one of the NFL’s best, as was RB Edgerrin
James in his third year. But the defense was becoming a source of concern.

There was a crowd of 56,022 at the RCA Dome. The Colts had
first possession and drove to the New England 28, with the big play being a
pass from Manning to TE Ken Dilger that gained 25 yards, but Mike Vanderjagt’s
46-yard field goal attempt was blocked and returned 35 yards by New England CB
Leonard Myers to give the Patriots excellent starting field position at the
Indianapolis 29. They made the most of it in short order as WR David Patten
took the ball on an end-around play and raced around right end for the 29-yard
touchdown.

The Colts again drove into New England
territory on their next possession as Edgerrin James ran effectively and caught
a pass from Manning. Vanderjagt booted a 42-yard field goal to get the home
team on the board.

The Patriots punted to end their next series and Indianapolis appeared set to score again when Manning
threw to WR Marvin Harrison for a 68-yard gain to the New
England two. However, the Colts weren’t able to punch into the end
zone and, following a sack of Manning by LB Mike Vrabel for a six-yard loss on
third down, Vanderjagt again had a field goal attempt blocked, this time by
safety Tebucky Jones on a 25-yard try, and the score remained 7-3 after a
quarter of play.

The teams traded punts to start the second quarter, but
after the Patriots took possession on their own nine yard line following a
34-yard kick by Hunter Smith, it was Patten again making a big play as he
pulled in a pass from Brady at the 48 and went the distance for a 91-yard
touchdown. With another successful extra point by Adam Vinatieri, it was 14-3
in favor of New England.

Following a short series by the Colts, it was Patten
striking again on the Patriots’ next play from scrimmage, this time throwing an
option pass to WR Troy Brown for a 60-yard touchdown. David Patten had
accounted for a touchdown in three different ways – by rushing, receiving, and
passing – and in each instance it was on the first play of a New
England possession. He had almost singlehandedly staked the
Patriots to a 21-3 lead that would prove insurmountable for the Colts.

Things got worse for Indianapolis
when James fumbled on the next series and LB Tedy Bruschi recovered for the
Patriots at the Colts’ 24. Six plays later Brady passed to TE Jermaine Wiggins
for a two-yard TD. While the Colts managed to score once more on a 42-yard
Vanderjagt field goal before the period was over, New
England went into halftime leading by a 28-6 margin, even though
the offense’s time of possession was just eight minutes. The frustrated home
crowd booed the Colts heavily as they headed for the locker room.

The second half was anticlimactic. The Colts drove to a
two-yard Manning-to-Harrison touchdown pass followed by a successful two-point
conversion that made it 28-14. The Patriots responded with a 43-yard field goal
by Vinatieri. Indianapolis again reached scoring
territory but, after having a first down at the New
England 12, was unable to penetrate the end zone and settled for a
24-yard Vanderjagt field goal. Early in the fourth quarter, Brady tossed
another TD pass to Patten, this time from six yards out, and that was it.
Another drive by the Colts ended with Manning fumbling the ball away while
being sacked by DE Bobby Hamilton after reaching the New
England 16, and the Patriots were able to eat up almost all of the
remaining time with an 18-play possession. New England
came away with a big 38-17 win.

The Colts led in total yards (484 to 385) and first downs
(28 to 19) but were beaten by big plays and blocked kicks (prior to the two
blocked field goals in the first quarter, Mike Vanderjagt had had only two of
his previous 100 attempts blocked). They had difficulty scoring when they got
inside the red zone and turned the ball over twice while New
England suffered no turnovers. The Patriots sacked Peyton Manning
four times while the Colts never got to Tom Brady.

David Patten was the biggest star for the Patriots as he
became the first player since Walter Payton of the Bears in 1979 to account for
a touchdown by rushing, receiving, and passing in the same NFL game. His
overall statistics were four catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns, one
rushing attempt for 29 yards and a TD, and one pass completion for a 60-yard
score.

Tom Brady had a fine performance, completing 16 of 20 passes
for 202 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Troy Brown caught 8
passes for 120 yards and TD. RB Antowain Smith led the rushing attack with 71
yards on 21 carries.

Several noteworthy offensive performances for the Colts went
to waste. Peyton Manning was successful on 22 of 34 throws for 335 yards and a
TD with none intercepted. Edgerrin James gained 143 yards on 30 rushing
attempts. Marvin Harrison had 8 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown.

“It started out bad with the blocked field goal and it
didn’t get a whole lot better,” summed up Jim Mora for the Colts.

It did get better for the Colts with wins over the next two
weeks, but they were followed with seven losses in the last nine games. Indianapolis sank to 6-10
and a fourth place finish in their last AFC East season, which also was the end
for Jim Mora’s coaching reign.

New England, on the other
hand, lost its next game but then won eight of nine to win the AFC East with an
11-5 record. The improbable climb continued to a Super Bowl upset of the St.
Louis Rams.

Rising quickly out of obscurity, Tom Brady had a Pro Bowl
year, completing 63.9 percent of his passes for 2843 yards with 18 touchdowns
against 12 interceptions.

David Patten caught 51 passes for 749 yards (14.7 avg.) and
four touchdowns. He ran the ball five times for 67 yards with the TD against
the Colts his only one of the year (and, for that matter, his career) and had
one other passing attempt, which was intercepted. Formerly with the Giants and
Browns, the undersized (5’10”, 190) but fast fifth-year wide receiver went on
to play a total of four seasons in New England where he was a member of three
championship squads.

October 20, 2012

Coming off a 3-8-1 record in 1956 in their first year under
Head Coach Hugh Devore, the Philadelphia Eagles did well in the high rounds of
the ’57 NFL draft. With the seventh pick in the first round, they took FB
Clarence Peaks of MichiganState. Further seeking to
bolster the running game, they chose Wake Forest HB Billy Barnes in the second
round and HB Tommy McDonald from Oklahoma
in the third. And in the fourth round, they drafted QB Sonny Jurgensen of Duke.

The stocky (5’11”, 195) Jurgensen had not thrown the ball
much in college with a run-oriented team, but was reputed to have a strong arm
and had shown great accuracy when he did pass. For the past several years, the
Eagles had utilized the quarterback tandem of Adrian Burk and Bobby Thomason,
and with Burk having retired to pursue a legal career there was a need to break
in someone new.

Peaks and Barnes moved directly into the starting lineup
while McDonald, who was too small at 5’9” and 182 pounds to play running back
as a pro, would not make an impact until later once he was shifted to flanker -
and the impact would indeed be great. Jurgensen backed up the veteran Thomason
as Philadelphia
lost its first three games.

On October 20 the Eagles faced the Cleveland Browns, who
were off to a 3-0 start under Head Coach Paul Brown and had beaten Philadelphia
at home the week before. They had a promising rookie of their own in FB Jim
Brown, taken in the first round of that same draft out of Syracuse. Brown had already become the key to
the ground-oriented offense directed by veteran QB Tommy O’Connell while
second-round draft choice Milt Plum from PennState,
the quarterback of the future, backed him up.

The previous week’s game in Cleveland was a fight-filled contest in which
seven players were ejected. Commissioner Bert Bell issued a warning prior to
the rematch that the teams should “play football, not fight”. By and large his
instructions were followed in the rematch.

There were 22,443 in attendance at Connie Mack Stadium as Sonny
Jurgensen started at quarterback for the injured Thomason. There was no scoring
in the opening period but the Eagles, with Billy Barnes running well, advanced
to the Cleveland
8 yard line on the last play of the first quarter. On the second play of the
second quarter, Bobby Walston kicked a 12-yard field goal to give the home team
a 3-0 lead.

The Browns failed to tie the score later in the period when
Lou Groza’s 39-yard field goal attempt into a stiff wind went wide. Philadelphia later put
together an 80-yard drive in six plays, with Jurgensen passing to end Rocky
Ryan, who pulled the ball in at the 15 and ran it in for a 46-yard touchdown.
The Eagles held a 10-0 lead at the half.

The third quarter was scoreless, but then Philadelphia put together a seven-play,
45-yard scoring drive after LB Chuck Bednarik intercepted a pass by Tommy
O’Connell and returned it 14 yards. Barnes ran for 14 yards and, after carrying
again for a short gain, ClarencePeaks broke away for a
25-yard carry to the one yard line. On second down, Jurgensen scored on a
quarterback sneak.

O’Connell was injured and replaced by the rookie Milt Plum,
who led Cleveland
on a 69-yard drive midway through the fourth quarter. Following a pass from
Plum to HB Billy Reynolds to the Philadelphia
one, Jim Brown blasted into the end zone for a touchdown. That was it for the
Browns as the Eagles held on for a 17-7 win.

The Browns outgained the Eagles (285 yards to 270) although Philadelphia surprisingly outgained Cleveland on the ground (186 to 103). The
Browns had the edge in first downs (14 to 13) but they also turned the ball
over six times, four by interception, while Philadelphia gave the ball up just once on a
fumble. While there wasn’t the fighting of the previous week’s game, there were
a total of 16 penalties called – 10 on the Browns and six on Philadelphia.

Billy Barnes (pictured at left) rushed for 87 yards on 22 carries,
overshadowing Jim Brown, who had 53 yards on 12 attempts. Sonny Jurgensen didn’t
go to the air often, but was effective in his first career start as he completed
6 of 9 passes for 84 yards with a touchdown and none intercepted.

The upset of the Browns didn’t herald better things for the
Eagles – they were shut out at Pittsburgh the next week and won only three more
times to finish at 4-8 and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, leading to
the replacement of Hugh Devore as head coach by Buck Shaw. Cleveland,
on the other hand, lost only once more to top the conference at 9-2-1, although
the Browns lost badly to Detroit
in the NFL Championship game.

Sonny Jurgensen started five games as a rookie and showed
promise as he completed 33 of 70 passes for 470 yards with five touchdowns and
eight interceptions. The arrival of veteran star Norm Van Brocklin from the
Rams in 1958 relegated the young quarterback to the bench and he would not
re-emerge until 1961, the year after “The Dutchman” guided the team to the
league title and then retired. However, Jurgensen broke out in a big way in ’61
on his way to a Hall of Fame career with the Eagles and Redskins.

Billy Barnes also had an impressive first year, gaining
selection to the Pro Bowl as he rushed for 529 yards on 143 carries (3.7 avg.)
and caught 19 passes for 212 more. Jim Brown outdid the rest of the
rookie class, however, as he led the NFL in rushing with 942 yards on the way
to becoming the league’s dominant rusher over the course of a brilliant
nine-year career that, like Jurgensen's, led to enshrinement in Canton.

October 18, 2012

The St. Louis Cardinals were 3-1-1 and battling to stay even
with the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Eastern Conference race as they hosted the
Washington Redskins on October 18, 1964. Coached by Wally Lemm, the Cardinals
had a well-balanced offense with occasionally-erratic but typically effective
QB Charley Johnson (pictured at right) throwing to outstanding receivers in split end Sonny Randle
and flanker Bobby Joe Conrad or handing off to a good group of running backs
led by HB John David Crow. The defense featured linebackers Dale Meinert and
Bill Koman plus CB Pat Fischer and FS Larry Wilson. PK Jim Bakken was one of
the league’s best.

The Redskins, coached by Bill McPeak for the fourth year,
were 1-4, having lost to the Cards two weeks earlier at home and won for the
first time the previous week. Washington
had not put together a winning record since 1955 but had made key acquisitions
in the previous offseason, most notably QB Sonny Jurgensen, obtained from the
Eagles, and MLB Sam Huff, formerly of the Giants. In addition, rookie HB
Charley Taylor had been drafted in the first round out of ArizonaState and was proving
to be an excellent outside runner as well as pass receiver.

There were 23,748 in attendance on a 60-degree day at Busch
Stadium. They saw Washington
start fast, scoring two touchdowns in the first six minutes of the first
quarter. Jurgensen threw to Taylor
for a 77-yard gain that set up a one-yard sneak by the quarterback for a TD.

On the first play following the ensuing kickoff, Charley
Johnson fumbled while rolling out and DT Joe Rutgens recovered for the
Redskins. Jurgensen threw to split end Angelo Coia, who beat CB Jimmy Hill for
a 32-yard touchdown. Including two successful extra points, it was 14-0 in
favor of the visitors.

Before the opening period was over, however, Jim Bakken
kicked a 17-yard field goal for the Cards and then Dale Meinert recovered a
fumble by Washington HB Tom Tracy at the Redskins’ 27. St. Louis quickly capitalized when Johnson
passed to Sonny Randle for an 11-yard TD. The score was 14-10 after a quarter
of play.

Midway through the second quarter St. Louis took the lead when a 35-yard drive
ended with John David Crow running for a nine-yard touchdown. With time running
out in the first half the Cardinals went 52 yards on a possession that ended
when Johnson fooled the Redskins defense by passing to a wide-open TE Jackie
Smith for a one-yard TD pass. The Cards were up by 24-14 at the half.

Neither team was able to move the ball during the third
quarter, but two interceptions set up Washington
scores as the Redskins defense proved effective against the St. Louis offense for most of the second
half. Johnson had difficulty completing passes until midway through the final
period.

Early in the fourth quarter, CB Johnny Sample intercepted a
Johnson pass at the Washington
28 and returned it to the 44. The Redskins took advantage as Taylor ran for a 37-yard gain and Jurgensen
completed an 18-yard pass to star flanker Bobby Mitchell for a touchdown to
make it a three-point game.

LB Jim Carr intercepted another pass by Johnson that gave
the Redskins good field position at the St.
Louis 49. The ensuing drive stalled at the 15 and a
well-thrown Jurgensen pass was dropped by Coia in the end zone. Washington had to settle
for a field goal by 40-year-old Jim Martin from 24 yards out to tie the game at
24-24 with just under two minutes left to play.

The Cardinals took possession at their 27 to start the
ensuing drive. Johnson, who had been ineffective for much of the second half,
threw to FB Joe Childress (pictured at left) for a 30-yard gain. Following two runs by Childress
that added another 13 yards, Johnson then connected with split end Bill
Gambrell for 11 yards to the Washington
19 with the clock down to 48 seconds. A five-yard completion to Conrad was
followed by a short run by Crow and then Johnson’s pass to Conrad, who broke
two tackles, for a 12-yard touchdown.

Now down by seven points, a desperate Jurgensen threw a
desperation pass that was intercepted by Pat Fischer and returned 39 yards for
a TD to seal the 38-24 win for St.
Louis.

The Cardinals had more total yards (366 to 264) and far more
first downs (26 to 9). But four turnovers, including the two damaging
interceptions that led directly to Washington
scores, hurt St. Louis while the Redskins
turned the ball over three times. In addition, Johnson was sacked five times
while the St. Louis defense failed to register
any sacks at all.

Charley Johnson completed 17 of 30 passes for 226 yards with
three touchdowns but also three interceptions. He also gained 32 yards on four
rushes. Joe Childress ran for 86 yards on 15 carries and caught two passes for
48 more yards while John David Crow contributed 53 yards on 16 attempts that
included a TD. Bobby Joe Conrad (pictured below) was the top receiver for St.
Louis with 5 catches for 52 yards and the game-winning touchdown.

For the Redskins, Charley Taylor had a big day with 62 yards
rushing on 9 carries and three pass receptions for 81 yards. Sonny Jurgensen
was successful on 11 of 25 throws for 159 yards and two TDs with one
intercepted. Bobby Mitchell and Angelo Coia each had three catches for 35 yards
and scored a touchdown.

The win kept the Cardinals even with the Browns atop the
Eastern Conference, but a midseason slump hurt their chances and while they
finished up with four straight wins, it gave them a 9-3-2 record that placed
second to Cleveland’s 10-3-1. The Redskins won
five of their next six contests and ended up tied for third in the conference
with Philadelphia at 6-8.

Charley Johnson led the NFL in pass attempts (420),
completions (223), yards (3045), and, more unfortunately, interceptions (24)
while ranking fourth in touchdown passes with 21. Bobby Joe Conrad was the
fourth-ranked pass receiver in the league with 61 catches, good for 780 yards
(12.8 avg.) and six TDs. He was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Sonny Jurgensen had a good first year in Washington,
ranking second to Johnson in pass completions (207) and yards (2934) while
ranking ahead in touchdown passes (24) and with far fewer interceptions (13).
Like Conrad, he was chosen for the Pro Bowl.

Charley Taylor (pictured below) had an outstanding first year, garnering
Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl honors as he rushed for 755 yards on 199
carries (3.8 avg.) and caught 53 passes for 814 yards (15.4 avg.) and totaled
10 touchdowns. Two years later, he was shifted to split end as he went on to a
13-season Hall of Fame career.

October 17, 2012

In the early days of the NFL, one of the league’s biggest
stars was John “Paddy” Driscoll. At a time when versatility was highly valued,
the 5’11”, 160-pound Driscoll could run and pass effectively out of the
quarterback, halfback, or tailback positions, was a good defensive player, and
an excellent punter and drop-kicker. After playing collegiately at Northwestern
and having a brief major league baseball career, Driscoll was with the Great
Lakes Naval Training Station football team that won the 1919 Rose Bowl (and
included George Halas, later the long-time head coach and owner of the Bears).
After playing professionally in the pre-NFL year of 1919 with Hammond, he joined the Chicago Cardinals of
the new league (then called the American Professional Football Association) for
1920.

From then through 1925, Driscoll scored 17 touchdowns,
kicked 37 field goals and 31 extra points, and scored 244 points while
receiving All-Pro recognition in five of the six years. He led the league in
scoring in 1923 and in field goals on three occasions, including 1925 as the
Cardinals won the NFL Championship. Driscoll also tended to be particularly
effective against the cross-town rivals of the Cards, the Chicago Bears.

In 1926, a rival league, the first to be called the American
Football League, was formed and Driscoll received a salary offer from that
circuit’s Chicago
franchise that the Cardinals could not match. Not wanting to see Driscoll go to
the other circuit, the Cards sold him to Halas and the Bears for $3500.

Driscoll proved to be a good pickup for the Bears, and on October
17, 1926 they faced the Cardinals. It was a big game – both teams had yet to
lose (the Cards were 4-0 and the Bears 3-0-1). There were 12,000 fans in
attendance at NormalPark, home of the Cards.

Three minutes into the first quarter, Driscoll dropkicked a
38-yard field goal following his fair catch of a punt. Early in the second
quarter, Driscoll passed to Halas, an end as well as the owner and coach, for a
40-yard gain to the Cardinals’ 20. He followed up with a run around end for 11
yards and shortly thereafter went off tackle for a five-yard touchdown. The
multitalented back added the extra point to make it 10-0.

Later in the same period, center George Trafton of the Bears
intercepted a pass in Cardinals territory, and while they weren’t able to move
the ball on offense, Driscoll booted a 25-yard field goal. Before the end of
the half, Driscoll completed the scoring with a 50-yard field goal and that was
it. While the Cardinals drove into Bears territory on several occasions during
the second half, fumbles kept them from scoring and the halftime score of 16-0
ended up being the final tally.

The Bears accumulated 10 first downs to 8 for the Cards. Paddy
Driscoll accounted for all of the points against his former team as he kicked
three field goals, scored a touchdown, and added the extra point. Backs Roy
Lamb and Red Dunn were the top ground gainers for the Cardinals.

The first defeat of the season for the Cardinals moved the
Bears into undisputed possession of first place. They didn’t hold onto it in
the end, however, finishing second in the division-less, 22-club NFL with a
12-1-3 record. The only team to defeat them, the Frankford Yellow Jackets,
claimed the league title at 14-1-2. The Cardinals slumped to 5-6-1, winning
just one more game after the initial loss to the Bears (they played them twice
more and suffered another defeat along with a tie). They placed tenth in the
final standings.

Paddy Driscoll led the NFL in scoring for the second time
with 86 points and also was the leader in touchdown passes (6, tied with Eddie
Scharer of the Detroit Panthers) and field goals (12) – both were league
records, the scoring mark lasting until 1941 and the field goal total remaining
the standard until 1950. He also scored a total of six touchdowns and kicked 14
extra points and was named first-team All-NFL by Collyers Eye Magazine, the
Chicago Tribune, and the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Driscoll stayed with the Bears until 1929, when his playing
career ended. At the time, he was the NFL’s career scoring leader with 402
points and, not surprisingly, the career leader in field goals with 51. His 63
extra points were also a record and he was named to at least one all-league
team in eight of his nine years in the NFL. Driscoll went on to become a
long-time assistant coach for the Bears and was head coach in 1956 and ’57,
when Halas took a hiatus. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in
1965.

October 16, 2012

The Buffalo Bills were 3-2 and without their starting
quarterback as they took on the undefeated Los Angeles Rams on October 16, 1989.
QB Jim Kelly suffered a shoulder separation in a 37-14 loss to the Colts the
previous week and the little-known backup quarterback, Frank Reich, was forced
to step in. Under Head Coach Marv Levy, the Bills had won the AFC East in 1988
and featured a productive offense that included RB Thurman Thomas and WR Andre
Reed while the defense was anchored by DE Bruce Smith and included a good linebacking
corps.

The Rams, in their eighth season under Head Coach John
Robinson, were 5-0 and a more pass-oriented team than they had been throughout
most of Robinson’s tenure with the club. QB Jim Everett was the reason, and he had
a reliable target for his passes in WR Henry Ellard while second-year WR Willie
“Flipper” Anderson
was emerging as a potent deep threat.

It was a rainy Monday night at Rich Stadium for the nationally-telecast
contest. Things started well for the Rams when CB Jerry Gray intercepted Frank
Reich’s second pass of the night, giving LA good field position at the Buffalo 46. The Bills
defense held, but Dale Hatcher’s punt was muffed by CB Mickey Sutton and
recovered by LA’s WR Ron Brown at the Buffalo
16. Five plays later Everett
threw to RB Buford McGee in the end zone for a three-yard touchdown.

There was no further scoring in the first quarter as neither
offense was able to get much going. Buffalo
got a break with 5:23 to go in the half when Los Angeles RB Greg Bell (an
ex-Bill) fumbled at his own 20 and NT Jeff Wright recovered. Scott Norwood
kicked a 28-yard field goal four plays after that to cut LA’s lead to 7-3.

The Bills got the ball back at the Rams’ 49 following a punt
with 2:16 left on the clock and advanced to the 29 in seven plays, from where Norwood was again
successful on a 47-yard field goal try to make it 7-6 at the half.

The defenses continued to dominate in the third quarter. On
their third series of the second half, the Rams drove into Bills territory as Everett completed passes
to Henry Ellard for 24 and 19 yards. The drive stalled at the Buffalo 17 and Mike Lansford booted a 34-yard
field goal to stretch the LA lead to 10-6.

The Bills responded with a late-period scoring drive that
stretched into the fourth quarter. Reich completed a pass to Thurman Thomas for
13 yards in a third-and-10 situation and Buffalo
advanced to the Los Angeles
23. The 12-play, 52-yard possession ended with another Norwood field goal, this time from 40 yards.

It was once again a one-point game, but the Rams came back
with a long series that covered 60 yards in 12 plays. Everett completed four passes and Lansford
capped the drive with a 36-yard field goal.

On Buffalo’s
next play from scrimmage, Reich threw to Andre Reed for a 47-yard gain to the
LA 39. A costly defensive holding penalty nullified a sack of Reich on third
down and a 15-yard completion to Reed put the ball at the six. Reich’s one-yard
TD pass to Thomas and Norwood’s
extra point put the Bills in front for the first time at 16-13 with a little
over two minutes remaining.

The Rams failed to convert a fourth-and-four play just after
the two minute warning, but three plays later Thomas fumbled and safety Michael
Stewart recovered. LA made the Bills pay in short order as Everett passed to the fleet Willie Anderson
for a 78-yard touchdown. It was 20-16 and, with the Bills getting the ball back
with 1:17 left on the clock, it seemed as though the Rams would remain
undefeated.

Reich passed to Reed on first down, who fumbled but C Kent
Hull saved the day for Buffalo
by recovering. A short completion to Thomas was followed by a false start
penalty that made it third-and-six. Reich threw to Thomas for 17 yards and a
first down at the LA 43. Two more passes to Thomas gained another 21 yards and
a toss to RB Ronnie Harmon picked up 14 yards. With 20 seconds left in the
game, Reich threw to Reed for an eight-yard touchdown to finish off the
seven-play, 64-yard drive. It finished off the Rams, too, as there was time
left for only one Everett
pass and Buffalo won by a score of 23-20.

Buffalo
outgained the Rams (348 yards to 266) and had more first downs (17 to 15). Of
LA’s yardage total, only 59 came on the ground. The Bills turned the ball over
four times, to two suffered by Los
Angeles.

Frank Reich, overcoming a slow start, completed 21 of 37
passes for 214 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Thurman Thomas (pictured below) rushed for 105 yards on 24 carries and caught 9 passes for 67 yards and a TD.
Andre Reed gained 106 yards on 8 pass receptions that included the winning
touchdown.

For the Rams, Jim Everett was successful on just 15 of 36
throws for 219 yards and two TDs with one picked off. With the long scoring reception
Flipper Anderson had 87 yards on only two catches while Henry Ellard hauled in
4 passes for 70 yards. Greg Bell, the NFL’s second-ranking rusher coming into
the game, ran for 44 yards on 21 attempts.

Reich continued to perform well for the Bills, leading them
to two more wins before Kelly returned to the lineup. It was a
controversy-filled year in Buffalo
as Kelly feuded with teammates, two assistant coaches engaged in a fist fight
in the film room, and fingers were pointed at players who had fueled the ’88
surge but seemed less consistent in 1989. For all that, Buffalo topped the AFC East for the second
straight year, but with a lesser 9-7 record. The Bills lost at Cleveland in the Divisional playoff round.

As for the Rams, the loss at Buffalo
was the first of four in a row, but they recovered to finish with six wins in
their last seven games to finish at 11-5 and second to San Francisco in the NFC West. They qualified
for the postseason as a Wild Card and advanced to the conference title game where
they lost to the arch-rival 49ers.

In his relief role, Frank Reich completed 53 of 87 passes
(60.9 %) for 701 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He went on
to play five more years in Buffalo
before moving on to the expansion Carolina Panthers, capably backing up Jim
Kelly and engineering a memorable comeback in the 1992 postseason.

October 14, 2012

The NFL contest in Green
Bay on October 14, 1945 was a faceoff between two
Western Division teams that had started off the season at 2-0. The Green Bay
Packers were the defending NFL Champions and still a potent squad, especially
after their all-time great end Don Hutson had been persuaded to put off
retirement and come back for another year. Coached by Curly Lambeau, the
franchise’s founder, the Packers were a team that was used to contending.

As for the visiting Cleveland Rams, they had never been
above .500 in any season since joining the NFL in 1937. But they had a new head
coach in Adam Walsh, who installed a T-formation offense, and a talented rookie
quarterback out of UCLA to run it in Bob Waterfield (pictured above). The Rams had an
outstanding receiver of their own in end Jim Benton, who was ably complemented
by Steve Pritko, plus a good group of running backs.

There were 24,607 fans in attendance at Green Bay’s City Stadium on a bright and
clear day. The Rams scored on their first possession, driving 49 yards and
finishing with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Waterfield to Benton. While Waterfield’s first extra point
attempt was successful, it was nullified by a holding penalty and the second
try was no good when it sailed wide. Still, Cleveland was ahead by 6-0.

That remained the situation until the third quarter when
Rams HB Tom Colella fumbled and Green Bay tackle
Paul Lipscomb recovered at the Cleveland
25. FB Ted Fritsch ran three times to get to the one and tailback Irv Comp went
the last yard for a TD. Hutson kicked the extra point to put the Packers ahead
by 7-6.

In the fourth quarter, the Packers went 54 yards, with the
highlight a pass from tailback Roy McKay to Hutson for 24 yards. Fritsch plowed
through the middle for a three-yard touchdown and Hutson added the point after.

Down by 14-6 in the final period, the Rams had possession at
their own 27 and put together a seven-play scoring drive. Waterfield capped it
by passing to Colella for a nine-yard TD. Cleveland
then received a big break when Green
Bay’s McKay fumbled and tackle Roger Eason recovered
for the Rams at the Packers’ 17. FB Don Greenwood, Colella, and Waterfield each
took a turn running the ball to get to the one yard line and Greenwood scored from there.

McKay and Comp took turns trying to connect on passes to Don
Hutson until DB Albie Reisz intercepted one and returned it to the Green Bay 5. Colella ran
the ball in from there for a touchdown that sealed the win for the Rams. Thanks
to the three fourth quarter TDs, and Waterfield’s successful conversions after
each, Cleveland
came away the winner by a final score of 27-14.

The Rams led in total yards (289 to 232) but Green Bay had the edge in
first downs (16 to 12). However, Cleveland
ran the ball more effectively (154 yards on 45 carries to 81 yards on 39
attempts) and the Packers turned the ball over six times, as opposed to four
turnovers by the Rams.

As usual, Don Hutson was Green Bay’s
chief offensive weapon, catching 7 passes for 110 yards, but he was unable to
penetrate the end zone (he had done so four times in one quarter the previous
week against Detroit).
Jim Benton caught 5 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown for the Rams.

The win moved the Rams into first place in the Western Division
and that’s where they stayed, going 9-1 and beating Washington for the NFL title. Green Bay dropped to
third with a 6-4 record.

Bob Waterfield overcame a severe rib injury to achieve
league MVP honors while passing for 1609 yards and leading the league in yards
per attempt (9.4) and touchdown passes (14, tied with Sid Luckman of the
Bears).

Jim Benton (pictured below) and Don Hutson were the NFL’s most productive
receivers. In his final season, Hutson led the league for the eighth time
(fifth consecutive) with 47 pass receptions while his 834 yards ranked second
to Benton’s
1067. Benton
placed second to Hutson with 45 catches.

The 1945 season marked a change in direction for the two
franchises. Green Bay
went into a decline that wasn’t reversed until the arrival of Vince Lombardi as
head coach and general manager in 1959. The Rams, who moved to Los Angeles in 1946, won four division or
conference titles over the course of the next decade and a league championship
while regularly being among the NFL’s contending teams.

October 13, 2012

The Houston Oilers were well established by 1991 as the
NFL’s most prolific passing team. Under second-year Head Coach Jack Pardee,
they operated a run-and-shoot offense that had 34-year-old QB Warren Moon (pictured at right) throwing early and often to a talented stable of wide receivers that included
Drew Hill, Haywood Jeffires, Ernest Givins, and Curtis Duncan. They were off to
a 4-1 start as they took on the New York Jets on October 13.

The Jets, coached by Bruce Coslet, were 3-3 after having won
their previous two games following three straight losses. QB Ken O’Brien, in
his eighth season, was a steady if not spectacular performer and he had two
good targets in wide receivers Al Toon and Rob Moore. RB Brad Baxter had
outperformed the team’s 1990 first round draft choice, Blair Thomas.

There were 70,758 fans in attendance on a cloudy day at
Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. They saw the Jets take the
opening kickoff and roll 80 yards in 10 plays. O’Brien completed four passes,
including one for a 34-yard gain to Baxter to the Houston three yard line. From there, Baxter
ran up the middle for the final three yards and a touchdown.

The Oilers went three-and-out on their initial possession
and the Jets came back to score again. O’Brien started the drive off with an
18-yard completion to Toon and later threw to WR Chris Burkett for 23 yards to
the Houston
seven. New York
wasn’t able to punch in for another TD, but the 59-yard possession ended with
Pat Leahy kicking a 21-yard field goal to make it 10-0.

In the second quarter, Houston
finally got something going on offense. The Oilers converted a fourth-and-one
play at the New York
31 with a Moon pass to Haywood Jeffires (pictured below) for nine yards. Throwing on every play,
Moon finished off the 10-play, 54-yard series with a three-yard TD pass to a
diving Curtis Duncan in the end zone. Ian Howfield missed the extra point
attempt, however, and the score remained 10-6 in favor of the Jets.

Following a New
York punt, the Oilers took over at their 17 and Moon
immediately threw to Jeffires for 35 yards. The drive went 83 yards in 10 plays
with Moon converting two third downs with a 21-yard completion to Jeffires on
third-and-five at the New York 43 and a 14-yard pass to Drew Hill in a
third-and-six situation that made it first-and-goal at the four. RB Lorenzo
White finished off the possession by taking a pitchout for a one-yard
touchdown. This time the point after was successful and Houston was in front at 13-10.

New York had to punt again following its next series but
Moon was intercepted by DB Lonnie Young to give the Jets a last shot with 21
seconds before the half and the ball at the Houston 47. Two O’Brien completions
got the ball to the 34, but Leahy’s 52-yard field goal attempt sailed wide to
the right and the Oilers maintained the three-point lead at the intermission.

Starting at their own six yard line after a short kickoff
return to start the second half, the Oilers moved the ball effectively with
Moon hitting on passes of 16 yards to Hill, 13 yards to Jeffires, and 9 more to
Jeffires again to start the drive. But after reaching the New
York 44, Moon was intercepted by CB Mike Brim, who returned it 13
yards to not only stop Houston’s
drive but also give the Jets good field position. New York made the most of it, moving
methodically down the field in 14 plays that ended with Leahy booting a 31-yard
field goal to tie the score.

Moon had the Oilers driving again as the third quarter came
to an end, but the drive stalled at the New York 32 and the attempt to convert
a fourth-and-seven situation ended with an incomplete pass intended for WR
Ernest Givins that was broken up by Lonnie Young.

The Jets went three-and-out on their next possession and Houston again came out throwing with Moon going to
Jeffires for gains of 14 and 35 yards to the New York 27. An apparent touchdown run by
White was nullified by a holding penalty, but the Oilers scored on Howfield
field goal of 23 yards to move back in front at 16-13.

New York
was unable to move the ball on its next series, even after retaining possession
when a punt hit Houston DB Marcus Robertson on the arm and was recovered by
Burkett for the Jets. Still, a second Louie Aguiar punt went out of bounds at
the Houston
six, and with just under six minutes remaining there was still time for the
Jets – if they could get the ball back.

White ran for a two-yard loss on Houston’s
first play, but then Moon threw to Duncan for
nine yards and, in a big third-and-three situation, hit Duncan again for 23 more yards. White ran for
11 yards and then Moon passed for eight before handing off to White three more
times for short gains while the Jets used their first two timeouts. But on
third-and-four, Moon threw to Hill on a crossing pattern and the wide receiver
went all the way for a 37-yard touchdown.

It was the clincher for Houston
– the Jets drove to a last-play touchdown as O’Brien passed to Burkett from 18
yards out, but time ran out on New
York. The Oilers came away with a 23-20 win.

Houston
significantly outgained the Jets (436 yards to 279) and had the edge in first
downs (25 to 21). Neither team ran the ball effectively, with New York gaining 43 yards on 21 attempts and
the Oilers compiling just 27 on 15 carries. The Oilers sacked O’Brien four
times while Moon was sacked once by the Jets. Houston
also turned the ball over three times while New York suffered just one turnover.

Warren Moon went to the air 50 times and had 35 completions
for 423 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Haywood Jeffires led
the receivers with 13 catches for 186 yards while Curtis Duncan added 8
receptions for 67 yards and a TD and Drew Hill (pictured below) pulled in 6 passes for 80 yards
and a score. Lorenzo White led what there was of a running attack with 24 yards
on 11 attempts that included a TD.

For the Jets, Ken O’Brien completed 24 of 42 passes for 269
yards with a TD and one intercepted. Chris Burkett caught 6 passes for 81 yards
and a touchdown and Al Toon also had 6 receptions, for 51 yards. Brad Baxter
had 31 yards and a touchdown on 10 rushing attempts.

“This should show people we are for real,” say Haywood
Jeffires. “Now we can go to Miami
and come up with back-to-back wins on the road. I think we will and people will
consider us a Super Bowl contender.”

Houston
did indeed win the next week against the Dolphins and made it to 7-1 before
losing again. The Oilers did lose three of their last five games, but after having
been a Wild Card team the previous four years, they won the AFC Central with an
11-5 record. In the postseason, they once again beat the Jets to get through
the Wild Card round but lost a close contest at Denver in the Divisional round to once again
come up short of a trip to the Super Bowl. New York was 8-8 on the year but still
managed to finish second in the AFC East and qualify for a Wild Card spot.

Filling the air with passes on a regular basis, Warren Moon
led the NFL in attempts (655), completions (404), yards (4690), but also
interceptions (21). Still, his passer rating of 81.7 ranked only tenth and he
was fifth in touchdown passes with 23. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the
fourth straight year.

Haywood Jeffires led the league with 100 pass receptions and
ranked fourth with 1181 yards. He was a consensus first-team All-Pro and also
was chosen for the Pro Bowl for the first of an eventual three consecutive
times. Drew Hill ranked third by catching 90 passes and seventh in yards with
1109.